Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-03-18
The De Laos Country.

The town Of Minot, out in Dakota,
at the second crossing of the Mouse
River, and for the present, the iermi-
nus of the st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Manitoba Railroad, is the latest
Northwestern aspirant to greatness.
II certainly has an excellent situation,
and If fine country will make a
good town, its future prosperity is as
sured-for the upper Mouse and De
Laos River country is as attractive
region 10 the settler as any in the
country. The DE Laos River Joins
the Mouse eight miles above MInoi,
having its source in lake thirty
miles long, the head of which is one
and one-half miles south of the boun-
dairy. The Coteaux come sheer up
to the lake on the south side, and are
heavily timbered in places. On the
north side is a fine country, well
adapted for settlement, now occupied
only by few settlers from over the
line in Canada. Then come two
smaller lakes, and below these for
fifty miles is a fine, rich plain, twenty
or thirty miles wide, through the
center of which the river runs. Coal
is found all over the country. II
crops out in every hillside on the
river. This country is the favorite
range for white and black tailed deer
and antelope, and many hunters have
had great sport hunting them this
fall two bagging twenty-five black,
tailed deer in ten days. Throughout
its course the river is heavily tim
bered, aud its lateral feeders are also
well supplied. Except where an oc-
casional rancher has set his stakes,
the whole county is public land, and
II surely offers some fine opportuni-
ties for the homeless in the States to
provide themselves with fine farms,
only ut the expense Of coming and
settling on them. The finest oppor-
tunities now offer themselves TO SO
cure the best locations. Only last
week claim was taken, adjoining
the town of Minot, and public land is |
plainly in view across theiriver. only |
one mile away. The land in the
Mouse River valley, along the timber,
has to some extent been taken by
settlers who came In from Bismarck
three years ago.
Attention is chiefly directed TO
stock raising, each iancher having
from twenty-five to one hundred head
of cattle, though many fields are in
and produce well. The
soil in the valley is rich, but that on
the surrounding prairie level is of
the finer quality. The cold resi-
dents" claim that the climate of the
valley is milder than any part of the
territory, and their claim would
seem TO be substantiated by the many
varieties of Wild fruits growing in
he forest. and, the fact, that wild
are growing on nearly
every tree. Ranchmen claim that on.
account of this exceptional lnildness
they can winter grown cattle with an
outlay of but one ton ofhay per head.
The "chinook" winds, during win
ter, blow from the southwest down
The Yellowstone valley, pass over the
ow "divide" at Fort Buford and
reaching the De Laos valley change
heir direction to the southeast, reach
ng the Mouse River valley as warm
northwest wind. They sometimes
asst for week at time, cut the
now off in few hours, and often
'aise the water in the rivers two feet.
Not the least Of the resources of the
ountry lie in the coal mines, which
make outcrops in nearly every Hill /
nd ravine. A mine under process
t development, six miles from Minot. |
hows up a vein seven feet In thick |
less and of the best quality oflignite,
easily and rapidly anG used {
or all heating purposes. The coal
ellis for Sl.25 per ton at the mine.
nd is In common Use in MiDot and
throughout the surrounding country, {
st. Paul Pioneer Precs.